Thermo Fisher may boost Millipore bid

Bloomberg News, citing a person close to the situation, said Waltham, Mass.-based Thermo Fisher was considering offering a higher price for Millipore. The source did not provide Bloomberg with a specific price, although the news service reported that any deal would include Thermo Fisher taking on Millipore’s $890 million in long-term debt.

Millipore shares began a rapid climb earlier this week after word leaked of Thermo Fisher’s unsolicited bid, topping $94 each by the close of trading Feb. 25. With assumption of Millipore’s debt factored in, the $6 billion offer works out to about $92 a share, based on nearly 56.5 million shares of Millipore stock.

Millipore late Feb. 23 said it was exploring the proverbial “strategic options,” including a possible sale of the company, and said it had hired Goldman Sachs to advise it throughout the process. Company officials did not say when they expected to finalize a decision.

Bloomberg also reported that Millipore began seeking out other offers soon after receiving Thermo Fisher’s bid, including entreaties to the healthcare unit of General Electric (NYSE:GE).

Other possible suitors could include Danaher Corp. (NYSE:DHR) and the healthcare division of 3M Corp. (NYSE:MMM).

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